....Star Blessing's...

for rayna!

2011-12-15T17:05:00.000-08:00

christmas tree picture frame ornaments!

2011-12-06T09:45:00.000-08:00

christmas art projects at star's school! this is her friend weston and her best friend marissa!i especially love this last picture! when i go to star's class on friday's to do art, it's a weekly lesson in sharing her mom! you can see how she feels about me paying attention to the other kids! silly girl!

what it's like now!

2011-12-05T10:02:00.000-08:00

on the very first night of my group in october i was told one thing. "poverty is a lack of resources, nothing more!" then i was asked to define "what it's like now"
i was given a resource table listing 11 resources

financial
emotional
mental
language
social support
physical
spirtual
integrity and trust
motivation and persistence
relationships/role models

knowledge of hidden rules
and then i was asked to score each from 1 to 5.
1 = urgent/crisis
2 = vulnerable/high risk
3 = stable
4 = safe/secure
5 = thriving/giving back
it was the beginning of really trying to understand the now! so what does the now look like here? i pass this little mission every morning on my way to take star to school! i am in love with the statues in their yard! i am in love with their little white building! i especially love that it is a mission! (note to self, work on a mission statement!) loving now!

wait, why isn't someone writing this down?!

2011-12-02T08:59:00.000-08:00

sharing some images of what kind of book... these are ones we have been working on since october...

counting our blessings!

2011-12-01T23:05:00.000-08:00

welcome to our effort of counting our blessings! what you will need to participate is a notebook. just that for today, we will be telling our story! get ready to write your own, i will have the first assignment up by 9am... getting really excited here!

2011-11-08T19:54:00.000-08:00

while looking over my blog i realize it has actually been a year since i have been able to be a blogger on a regular basis. to be honest it has been the hardest year of my life! which is unbelievable in it self because i have been blessed with some real challenging ones! i am more grateful than i can say that i have had this opportunity to grow, i have learned to trust The Lord, i have learned to believe in myself and the thing i am most thankful for is my children!
i am in awe of their strength and courage in the face of evil! evils which no child should ever have to face, my children have faced. i am awed by their courage and determination and am honored to be their mother! i will be spending more time in blogland in the hope that in my sharing i may be an instrument of the Lord, that maybe i can offer hope or courage to someone who is having to live with the truth that we are... blessings to all!...s...

courage to change october 15

2011-10-15T13:24:00.000-07:00

The most loving form of detachment I have found has been forgiveness. Instead of thinking of it as an eraser to wipe another's slate clean or a gavel that I pound to pronounce someone "not guilty," I think of forgiveness as a scissors. I use it to cut the strings of resentment that bind me to a problem or a past hurt. By releasing resentment, I set myself free.
When I am consumed with negativity over another person's behavior, I have lost focus. I needn't tolerate what I consider unacceptable, but wallowing in negativity will not alter the situation. If there is action to take, I am free to take it. Where I am powerless to change the situation, I will turn it over to my Higher Power. By truly letting go, I detach and forgive.
When my thoughts are full of bitterness, fear, self-pity and dreams of revenge, there is little room for love or for the quiet voice of guidance within me. I am willing to love myself enough to admit that resentments hold me back, and then I can let them go.

Today's Reminder:

Every time I try to tighten the noose of resentment around someone's neck, I am really only choking myself. Today I will practice forgiveness instead.
"A part of me wants to cling to old resentments, but I know that the more I forgive, the better my life works." ... In All Our Affairs

b is for birdhouse

2011-04-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

b is for birdhouse... birdhouse: an artificial nesting site for birds...

yes that's right the dictionary actually used the word "artificial" for some reason that struck me... i have always felt a kinship to birds. i have always admired penguins the way they buck the bird system by being swimmers instead of fliers. i love that eagles are such majestic loners. i love that hawks mate for life. i love that birds are really committed parents for about 6 weeks. i love that birds are a symbol of spring. i love that birds are able to fly away! i have always had dreams that i could fly... i love that birds are the only animals that can talk, i love love love everything about birds!

when i decided that i could make time to do alphabe-thursday i really thought obviously b is for birds, until saw the word birdhouse in my dictionary...
i have thought many times that i have been like a mother bird trying to fly while carrying my young! it has not been easy being homeless, but now that we have a place of our own i have been able to look back and contemplate what has happened. i have decided that a birdhouse never was the place for me! i feel myself finally taking flight and i feel very much at home now!
just for today, let yourself be free, free of judgement, free of critsism, free of stress, free of fear, free of restraints, free to be yourself! and keep in mind that no matter how cute your bird house is it is an artificial place for your soul. soaring free is the place your soul belongs! happy thursday!

sending love and prayers for japan...

2011-03-13T16:02:00.000-07:00

on friday morning i woke star up for school and the first thing she said was "mom i had a really bad dream!" i climbed into bed with her for a quick morning snuggle before rushing into everyday life "what was it about?"
she was very upset and told me it was really bad "i don't want to tell you! then you might have it and you will be scared!" "i'll be fine, tell me what happened"
"a giant wave came and washed me away, i tried to swim out but i went under without my breath... and i wasn't alone everyone and a lot of things were under the water..."
i never watch the news so i didn't know anything about the tsunami till i got to work and my boss was listening to the news..."and all those poor people in japan..." she said
we all got chills when i told everyone about star's dream... we are all praying continually and sending large loads of love to all effected by this horrible seizure of our world...

t is for too much to tell...

2011-02-23T08:22:00.000-08:00

t is for too much... i really have missed participating in alphabet thursdays! i am happy to have a minute this week to get caught up... but i seriously do have too much to tell, so i will just start with the t word triumphant. i had intended to make a lot of changes in the new year and i have indeed been triumphant in removing myself from negative forces in my life... in removing myself from such forces so quickly i seem to find myself living with my children in sanctuary. now some people would call it a homeless shelter or a safe house for victims of domestic violence but the people here call it a sanctuary which i love!
honestly i was not looking forward to coming here but now that i am here and have had time to heal and refocus. i love that i have had this opportunity and am savoring every minute! i have been able to look at things i have been carrying for a long time. i have been able to let go of things that have been stopping me from growing as a woman. i have been able to let go of ideas that i have held on to than have been holding me back... ideas like betrayal and grief, loss and abandonment, inadequacy and shame...
today i am able to look forward to my future as a clean slate and not be held back by fears which no longer serve me... today i am grateful for the blessings i have been given and the chance i have here to be surrounded by loving people who talk every day about living honestly and nurturing my authentic self... my future is looking very different to me now and i am looking forward to the chance to share the ideas i have heard here in this loving safe place where the universe has led me... this message has been brought to you by jenny matlock and the letter t , which is all about terrific triumphs through the test of times... loving and healing blessings to you all!

monday's child

2011-02-21T21:51:00.000-08:00

my monkey and me
sit down for tea
in my orange skirt
i watch her flirt
she's so sweet
she gulps her treat
by the garden gate
for our play date
by the smell of a rose
i love the day i chose...

this poem is to go with the prompt above for monday's child... please enjoy other's at the link... have a good week! (: happy monday my lovelies!

reflecting...

2011-02-15T09:09:00.000-08:00

been doing a lot of reflecting lately! i was talking to a friend this morning, she explained how two years ago she decided that the picture she had of herself in her head didn't match who she really was on the outside and decide then to make some changes...
am i who i think i am? or who i think i should be? thinking thinking thinking....
i love this image i found!

learning to be my own goddess!

2011-02-04T08:26:00.000-08:00

The Celtic goddess Brigid and her namesake, Saint Brigid of Ireland, can lay claim to being the most complex, intriguing, widespread, timeless, and beloved of all legendary ladies. Brigid appears in many different guises, with numerous names, in many different European cultures. And she has survived the ravages of time much better than most.

Known as Bride in Scotland, Brigandu in France, Ffaid in Wales, and Brigitania in England, the Irish goddess Brigid (usually pronounced Breet) is also known by the names Brighid, Bridget, Brid, and others. Her varying identities reflect her original image as a triple goddess, but with each of her three faces differing in their gifts.

The Brigid first worshipped in ancient times was the daughter of the great Irish god Dagda, the 'Good Father'. She had two sisters who were also named Brigid. Taken together, they were called the 'Three Mothers', 'Three Sisters', or simply the Goddess Brigid.

Unlike in Greek mythology where the Triple Goddess represented the three chronological stages of a woman's life (Maiden, Matron, and Crone), the Bridgets were all of the same generation and the distinctions between them were based on their domains of responsibility.

Brigid, the 'Fire of the Hearth', was the goddess of fertility, family, childbirth and healing.
Brigid, the '"Fire of the Forge', was like the Greek goddess Athena, a patroness of the crafts (especially weaving, embroidery, and metalsmithing), and a goddess who was concerned with justice and law and order.
Brigid, the 'Fire of Inspiration', was the muse of poetry, song history and the protector of all cultural learning.
Much later, when the Christian church came to Ireland, they had little hope of making converts if they were to denounce the beloved goddess of the Druids as a wicked demon. So instead they made her a saint. Many of the ancient legends of the goddess were soon to become the deeds of the saint. (Note: Some scholars cite evidence that Saint Brigid was an actual woman, the daughter of a Druid king and his Christian wife.)
In whatever form she might take, Saint or Goddess, Brigid is loved as a goddess of peace and inspiration, one of compassion and generosity, and one who had great gifts of insight and wisdom.
When i decided intent to be my word of this year i sat down and made a list of my intentions... the thing i didn't realize was that it would all happen so fast... i have not had time to be a blogger because i have been busy keeping up with the tornado of changes in my reality! life is good! learning to visualize my intentions and then living the power that has come has been unbelievably liberating! more updates soon..... blessings to all....s...

intent

2010-12-31T20:48:00.000-08:00

happy new year?
yes indeed!
change is good!
last new year i decided to chose a word for the year...
last year's word accept changed my world!
i have learned the importance of accepting others for what they are instead of what i want them to be...
i learned to accept myself for exactly what i am, to accept myself as the person God made me to be...
just now i decided on intent for this year....
intent: having the mind and will focused on a specific purpose...

snowed in?! seriously?!

2010-12-29T12:37:00.000-08:00

these are actually pictures from last Christmas... i have to say Christmas is not my favorite time of year... last year i found myself snowed-in in payson over night, now this year i am snowed-in in taylor... grrrr! i have had it with mountain living... i am going south as soon as the roads open!

monday's child

2010-12-20T18:53:00.000-08:00

the bells will ring,
snow may fall,
tomorrow might bring,
the dropping of a ball.

dressed in green,
i'm keeping time,
on the scythe i lean,
my eyes, they shine.

with the hourglass,
i watch the time pass,
try not to worry about making it last,
because before you know it, the time has past.

the blur of Christmas!

2010-12-19T13:41:00.000-08:00

i wanted to share some images i took the other day... maybe just a hint at what life is like these days... star's 1st grade Christmas program... she was so excited about going i could hardly keep up... and the third is a few of my favorite things... my fabulous sparkly green and blue curtain, the moon, a tree that has been with me longer than my last marriage lasted and my boy...
everything seems to be becoming dark and blurry! just getting through the holidays! (:

grandparent's day!

2010-12-18T13:38:00.000-08:00

i have not done a grandparents day post in two weeks... so today i wanted to share Amos Wright Whisenhunt, who was born april 4th 1882/1883 in hot springs, garland, arkansas and his lovely bride Allie Francis Veteto who was born march 21st 1883 in lexington henderson, tennessee. they are the parents of my grandma Sarah Gertrude Whisenhunt who i was named for...

we seem to be having some struggles this Christmas and i thought grampa and gramma's story may be applicable... first let me say how much a adore the Whisenhunts! i think really i take more after the Mckeever's honestly, or maybe the Veteto's, i am kinda small and sorta frail and loud and bossy... ok the loud and bossy may be Veteto...
anyway the way my dad tells their story is "gramma always spoke with a tiny broken raspy voice because grandpa broke her voice box..." yeah domestic violence goes way back in our family... ok you think you know how you feel about grandpa "Wright" is what they called him.. that is what it says over the picture "Wright and Granny" my dad tells it "granny was mean, she would never stop getting in his face and screaming at how he was doing it wrong, one day he was going out to get on his horse to get away from her and she followed him out of the house and he turned around and grabbed her by the throat..." yes they were indeed quite a couple! they eventually divorced... wright live till 1958 he is buried in hugo, choctaw oklahoma, and allie lived till 1961 and she is buried glover, mccurtin oklahoma...
i love love love my ancestors and am so blessed to know so much about them! i love the whisenhunts and will be sharing more stories of their childen and grandchildren! my grandma sarah and her brothers were too much! (:

sewing Christmas and eating Christmas goodies!

2010-12-17T14:57:00.000-08:00

just a quick update on what is going on here... every year for 3 years now, star gets something i call "cough till you throw up for 3 or 4 days" yeah i know it sounds like a dream come true for any mother but it started today... since i had to miss work anyway i took advantage to do some sewing for Christmas and eat Christmas goodies brought over by a friend... yes it's true we are having a recycled Christmas... yesterday these were the favorite jeans which were 3 inches too short... today the amazing hippy skirt" as my girls call it... yes i have made many of them for myself over the years... she chose the star fabric of course.... so happy! yay for Christmas break!

it is always fun to wear a skirt... but girls need pockets too! it's perfect! jean top... skirt bottom! (: pj's are coming up next!

k is for knocking at my door...

2010-12-09T07:37:00.001-08:00

knocking at my door last night... was my new massage chair and stool! this post is for miss jenny's alphbet-thursday.... i haven't been this excited to go to work since i graduated cosmetology school in '85! i have worked for other shop owners... i have had my own shop even, but i have never had my own room... i know it sound silly, but it's awesome! hoping to be ready to do facials by saterday... heading out now with the power drill to get it all put together....! happy thursday to all!

2010-12-06T15:16:00.000-08:00

i wanted to share a few photos to demonstrate when may be the right time to stop loosing weight... i think this maybe sicko skinny! but after i took a few shots i started to trip about that green light on the back /front/beside my right leg.... i am wondering who is to decide when i am wasting away... but think i just caught a few pictures of my little green sprite light...(: it is nice to have angels swirling.... (and yes i see my mirror is a mess ... we are ignoring that...)

wild and precious!

2010-12-05T08:32:00.000-08:00

ok it just occured to me that i haven't done a grandparents day post in two weeks... this is my grandma Betty Mae Bowen... yes i have the most amazingly wild and precious ancestors ever....

visualize flying away

2010-12-05T07:31:00.000-08:00

i was hoping to share some more pictures of my room but it is evolving slowly, i didn't want to post a mess so i thought i would share these creations star and i did... we spent the day packing all of our craft stuff and did a quick project before putting everything away.... ok that's not really true i packed and star and jordyn made a mess...
we had stuff all over the table and , when craft projects happen around here, the process is sorta all consuming! well if you want a visual, try imaging a tornado in a paper/glue/glitter factory! when we were done cleaning up and i tacked up our work i smiled when i saw how similar they are...
i think star and i are both ready to fly away like beautiful purple butterflies! (:

j is for just a peek...

2010-12-02T20:23:00.000-08:00

"blogland, just a peek into a place that i go that is not blogland, it is in the real world"...
this post is for miss jenny's alphabe-thursday.... at "just love it" family hair salon in Snowflake Arizona... this is my room which is evolving into a facial/pedicure/reflexology/6 year old daycare center room where i will be doing a lot of things...
today i cleaned the carpets and made Christmas gift certificates for my "little thieves" kids pedicure.... Christmas Special...
Happy Thursday to all!

lemongrass and lavender...

2010-12-01T21:47:00.000-08:00

ok just a quick update... i decide to create a job for myself... i now have a room at just luv it to do haircuts, pedicures, manicures, and whatever else comes my way like facials and i am excited to try out reflexology with my oils that i am shamelessly addicted to. i will be updating pictures of how i will be moving into this room, and set up shop.

incredible blessings today, i have not worked in three years. i am so thankful to have a job...

monday's child

2010-11-28T18:45:00.000-08:00

the mom must be saying,
put the frosting on this!

yes i looked out and it's snowing!
your my good helper miss!

i stand on my step
and make whipped cream frosting!

i wear my big apron and a bow in my hair!
we'll all have a treat, yes mom, that's fair!

snow on thanksgiving day?!

2010-11-27T20:35:00.000-08:00

yes it's true... it snowed here...! it was so cold all day... i actually loved this photo... it is so us... i love the humming bird feeder hanging there hopefully... we held on to the last bit of summer.... everything is frozen now..... but the sun shines bright no matter what! (:

tangled!

2010-11-26T12:55:00.000-08:00

we went to see tangled yesterday as opposed to sitting and eating food all afternoon... star loved it! she leaned over during the movie and whispered
to me "mom this is the best movie ever!"
it was so cute! the people who were sitting beside us
commented on her amazing hair do...
as the girl with the amazingly natural blond hair
whose mother is a hairdresser of 25 yrs. she could
really get into a disney remake of Rapunzel!
nice! really fun day! (:

thanksgiving is always crazy day!

2010-11-25T07:41:00.000-08:00

happy day! bring on the grub!

happy to be giving thanks!

2010-11-24T07:22:00.000-08:00

honestly i have so many things to be thankful for, i really find more blessings to count everyday! but today i want say i am thankful to know who i am!
this is a picture of my Grandmother Mary in 1958 when she graduated nursing school...

i am thankful for the men and women in my family who worked hard and gave everything to build this country into a place i am thankful for everyday!
blessings to all this wonderful and truly
American holiday of thanksgiving!

our back yard....

2010-11-23T09:37:00.000-08:00

ok can i please say how crazy it is around here? hmmmmmm.... can i even put it into words....
the wind has been blowing 110 miles an hour for daaayyyysss! the whole world is blowing away! i went out back to take a picture of the purple and pink sunset that was blowing away and got my neighbors horses huddled by a tiny ceder tree.... star came out with me to check out the moon... why has to moon been up day and night taking up the whole sky? star had to get a stick and do a little moon dance, which the boy would have nothing to do with....
but we went back out last night and got just the moon and one star..... alone in the darkness.... crazy huge ness, this picture doesn't really capture the huge crazyness....!

grandparents day!

2010-11-19T10:35:00.000-08:00

this week for grandparents day i wanted to share my dad! my father was born on the 4 the of april 1937 in honobia, le flore county, oklahoma. my father's life is a miracle in itself! he was born in a log cabin, and the way his mother told him the story, he was not breathing when he was born... so she put him in a basket and covered him with a blanket and went about cleaning up from the birth and after about 30 minutes he started coughing and choking and fought his way into life!
my father's birth certificate said "baby boy mckeever" until he was 25 yrs old and had to get a birth certificate... his family just called him "sonny" until he was 3 and decided to name himself alvie dock, after his fathers parole officer. he tells the story "when daddy was in prison, his parole officer would come up to the house to check on mama and us kids..."
i am sharing a picture of him and star in the fall of 'o8 when he built the grow beds, one of him as the cutest 3 yr old who every lived, one of the house he grew up in and my favorite, his graduation picture (which looks just like my son)
he worked for the santa fe railroad for 45 yrs, he has been married to my mother for 48 yrs. my father has hiked the grand canyon more times than anyone of us can count... once when he was 53 he went rim to rim to rim in less than 24 hrs... yes he is the super grandpa! he still hikes every where he goes and gathers and carves walking sticks (we have all decided that i will be building an etsy shop to sell them because he has more than he can use...) he was unable to sit still though his retirement so he now drives a school bus and is everyone's favorite! my father has 18 almost 19 grandchildren and now 2 almost 3 great grandchildren...
i have been blessed with a father more amazing than words can say and i love him more and more every day! when ever i am having a bad day he says "don't let it getcha down!" (of course with the amazing cool oklahoma accent)
be thankful for your grandparents... i know my kids love theirs! happy friday to all! (:

I is for "i have a secret!"

2010-11-18T08:52:00.000-08:00

this post is for miss jenny's alphabe-thrusday... this weeks letter is I....

before i tell you my secret... let me establish the value of this... thanks to the "stats" on my blog i have noticed that not all of my readers are here in arizona... many are not even in the usa... the point being that some may not be experienced in desert survival... arizona has many different elevations, but it is all desert (determined by amount of rainfall, or rather the lack of)
so even though we live at a higher elevation we are still in the desert and you may think that it's just the burning heat of the summer that causes dehydration, believe me the winter is just as bad or worse... the forced hot air heat sucks all the moisture out of everything... leaving our skin our lips, our feet, our hands, our cuticles... everything is DRY!
so my secret is..... homemade sugar scrub... yes i am sharing my amazing recipe for sugar scrub. just equal parts of olive oil and sugar... that's it!
for my own health reasons i don't use any store bought products on my skin, i have had a cosmetology license for 25 yrs so when i started having skin problems i figured myself qualified to make my own beauty products...
so just get yourself a mug or bowl and mix away... i like mixing with my fingers because i can get my cuticles....! star is addicted, she prefers the brown sugar, but sometimes i make it with white sugar... i like how it feels on my face...
now when you try this you may have your first experience of your body talking to you.... when you get a handful and start to scrub, you will hear your other body parts say "do me next!" so scrub away girls! get rid of all that dead skin! just take it right into the shower and give yourself a little spa treatment....! (one more little secret... in a pretty container, it makes a nice handmade christmas gift!)
happy thursday everyone! thanks miss jenny!

monday's child

2010-11-14T18:42:00.000-08:00

pumpkin pie!
i'll serve this guy!
up in the sky?
he can't fly high...
love my hat?
have some of that!
squash and corn on the ground sat!
food and love is where it's at!

ok this was a really fun fall prompt for monday's child! star really got into this one... i am sure they are learning about the first thanksgiving in first grade this year! we really do have so much to be thankful for! ignore the news and count your blessings this week! and yes i really do love her hat! i never thought of myself as a hat person... but i think i am becoming one... this week i have received orders for hats, both mens, womens and "baby beanies" is what mellie calls them, and fingerless gloves and now my cousin wants some "idiot mittens... time to get ready for the holidays! (and i really don't crochet all that well) seasons greetings....! time to get busy! (:

grandparent's day!

2010-11-12T10:15:00.000-08:00

this week for grandparents day i thought i would share an amazing blessing that has found it's way into my life...
first let me tell you how i love books! here are three i have found in thrift shops and antique stores this week... i love them even if they are coming apart... i love to imagine the hands that have held them and the people who were excited to learn what knowledge they had in their hands...!
i found one which is titled "the children's book of hymns"

(may i say i am addicted to antique hymnals!) they absolutely glow with the energy that has come from people who held them and sang to the God's of their understanding....
so anyway, on the inside cover of this book is the inscription "with a heartful of love to my Big Pink Angel- Kathryn from 'nana' on her 8th birthday september 27-1945"

grand parents are wonderful no matter what the year! amazing find! i couldn't be happier! i am so blessed!

h is for hat!

2010-11-11T09:16:00.000-08:00

h is for hat no doubt!
this post is for miss jenny's alphabe-thursday.
how could i not share the photo of this amazing hat?! this is Ruby Nevada Bowen she was born in Animas City, Hidalgo, New Mexico in dec 1886... when my great grandmother was orphaned in 1906 she went to live with this her "aunt vada" until ruby nevada also died in childbirth with her first child in december of 1907.
i'll tell you what it has never been easy being a woman in the American southwest but the main thing is we look good doing it! happy veterans day to all! and while the guys are off fighting the wars... us women were left at home doing the hard part!
happy thursday! thanks for the opportunity to share miss jenny! loving alphabe-thursday's!

something to share?

2010-11-09T07:42:00.000-08:00

so i haven't made a post in a few days and i thought i would share a quick update... we have been battling with some kind of horrible funk that has taken over all our lives...
i went to the hospital night before last (please know i avoid hospitals at all costs) yeah i have to be pretty sick to go... as a matter of fact it was my mother and my son who said "get out of that bed your father is taking you!" but as usual they had no help to offer... "yep your really sick, everyone is, this flu has been taking up to 14 days to get over, go home and good luck" so i gathered up my bag of tricks and we have been fighting for our lives with every bit of holistic wholesomeness available to me...
my life has hit some serious speed bumps and i have prayed and prayed for knowledge of what would be the direction the Lord would want me to go from here...
in my struggles this last week it occurred to me i might have something to share... we will be doing some serious reconstruction around here.... i have been blessed abundantly and i feel now is the time to share and it occurred to me this blog is the way to do that... stay tuned!

grandparents day!

2010-11-05T13:09:00.000-07:00

sarah francis estes was born 1 aug, 1843 in kentucky... she died 28th nov 1928 in moab utah
i am not going to go on and on about how sick i have been this week i just looked though my family photos and tried to find someone who i seemed to relate to today...
sarah was married to james pointer... the winter of 1883 (this story is as was told to me by my mother) in the winter of 1883 james "rode away with some bad guys and never came back" on the 4th of june 1884 sarah gave birth to little ida francis pointer, who was baby #9 for sarah and james...
sarah proceeded to raise her 9 children by herself and never saw or heard of james again... sarah's 3rd child, a girl susan emmaline pointer grew up to be a wonderful mother to my great grandfather...
my mother said when she "asked grandpa if they ever heard about or found out who killed his grandfather... he replied 'there was no law out there back then...' who was going to do anything?"
yep! it's still crazy time here in the wild west....! just surviving today! i am blessed with the most amazing ancestors! those are some kinda tough boots to fill! somedays i think i have it rough but grandma sarah rocked! let's try to have a good week end and keep it all in perspective!

g is for gift!

2010-11-04T10:05:00.000-07:00

g is for gift! yes it true i got a gift in the mail yesterday! just look at the amazingness! a 1941 saint george medal from WWII, i really love it more than words can say... but i will try to tell you.
a dear friend of mine from high school (which was a really long time ago) is not only a great friend but and amazing artist... jeanette from everton terrace

found this medal during her travels and re-purposed it into this necklace! she paired with this turquoise stone and put it on a long gold chain! i love love love it! have i said how much i love it? we have had a really hard week around here... we caught something really scary over halloween weekend and everyone has been home sick... i am sure every mom understands it sucks to have sick kids, but i really can't cope if they are sick on the same day i am sick! taking turns is best! we had the worst flu ever and i have done nothing but laundry and sanitize the house... ahhhhh!
but my gift came with this amazing card which reads... we are all warriors- just with our own battles. thank you so much for 'accepting' this gift. i hope it reminds you of how many victories you have! you have great power!....
what wonderfulness! i am blessed for sure! happy thursday to all!

2010-10-30T08:29:00.000-07:00

yesterday i made star's tutu for her "queen of pink" halloween costume for our party last night... it occured to us yesterday that jordyn would be coming with us, star jumped right in to help find her a costume... the two of them really are too sweet!
happy halloween!

f is for...?

2010-10-28T16:42:00.001-07:00

ok i have been a mom way too long not to think of this spongebob fun song when i wondered "what is f for?" this is a thursday post for miss jenny's alphbe thursday....
but really for me f is for family history! i have been researching my family history and have so many cool family photo's i am becoming quite obsessed! this is the photo of the George Washington Murry i shared on my "grandparents day" post last week... he sits with his whole family... my great great grandmother (Mary Antoinette Murry) is the daughter standing up in the middle with the dark shirt and the white tie... every friday i do a grandparents day post... and i promise to include more detailed stories with dates and places... and i am determined to figure out how to make a linky in the hopes that someone else might have a cool story or photo to share... at the very least, research you own family history and i promise you will find a lot more things to love about yourself! thanks miss jenny! happy thursday!

2010-10-26T15:39:00.000-07:00

this is a happy halloween indeed! i had to share the joy... i am happy to say i won this little writing contest on the celtic lady... this is the amazingness that came in the mail today. we won some beautiful card stock, some incredably creepy halloween images and yes, even a set of acrylic stamps! star is excited she is ready to put on the fuzzy slippers and create something cool for halloween! here is the little poem i entered and i want to share a link to her post today, she is an amazing creator and always does the postest with the mostest! check her out! (: happy happy happy day! i needed a surprise today! thanks julie!

monday's child

2010-10-25T09:48:00.000-07:00

she has a tea set just like me
is that snow outside?
i can't quite see...
she always wins at cards
when she plays by herself
where is her mother?
put those toys back on the shelf!
her baby with no dress
watches from the window seat
are those cookies on the carpet?
oh what a special treat!
oh who cares about stuff on the floor
she's having fun
let her make a mess galore!

ok so this week it was the three of us working this one out... it is the conversation that happened when star and i looked at the prompt above, to see if we could come up with something for monday's child this one was fun to put together... and yes it was my 16 yr old son who came up with "stuff on the floor, mess galore"! fun stuff! happy monday to all!

grandparent's day!

2010-10-22T18:38:00.000-07:00

i wanted to share a two pictures for grandparents day... one is my grand son griffin and the other is my great grandmother's grand father... how many generations is that? yeah we go that far back in az! George Washington Murray was in prescott az with his wife and 12 children in about the 1850's on...

e is for everything pink!

2010-10-21T18:38:00.000-07:00

e is for everything pink... i know this because i have a six year old daughter! this post is for alphabe-thursday this is so important for me to get it right... i think maybe the entire class got it because i am a techno retard, but there, i linked back... i think and i promise to visit! ok so back to everything...pink...
star was sure she wanted to be a "deer" for halloween, and it was going to be up to me to make that outfit happen... so we went shopping for a pattern... and look what we came home with... nothing brown and furry, nothing to make antlers...

these three shades of pink toule will become a tutu, under which she will wear the pink tights and a pink t-shirt, with the gold shoes and pink faux fur sweatshirt for night time trunk or treating at the church... all to be topped off with the pink party mask... she will be the "queen of pink"... you go star! everything is better when everything is pink! (: happy thursday!

2010-10-19T09:41:00.000-07:00

can i please say how much i love my baby star?! in the midst of all the chaos she continues to create... this is the bedroom window... i wouldn't show you the pile of boxes under the window... with everything going on she is a princess of beauty... loveliness just flows forth... she is a blessing to me!

2010-10-17T00:06:00.000-07:00

my daughter, my son in law, and my grandbaby came for fall break... so happy and so busy! i just keep snapping pictures to try to catch a tiny piece of it to keep... today we went back to the pumpkin patch... suddenly i realized my daughter reminds me of me! too many blessings to name today! loving life!

celtic lady contest

2010-10-15T19:53:00.001-07:00

So I sit and wait

in my silver satin and lace

I try to think,

I just stare into space...

my head starts to spin,

in my green velvet chair

I try to pretend

I just don't care

my cats are with me

and they watch for

what is evil and scary

and only folklore

it's the fear of an end

I know the crows warn

but something must die

for one thing to be born

I'm a creator of life

I look at my flowers

but I have conjured death

I am not afraid of my powers

so where is he now?

How long must I wait?

Is this the death that I see?

Would this be called fate?

I took out my umbrella

but it wasn't enough

to shield me

from this emotional stuff

behind me I know

are my potions and spells

but nothing I could do

would equal his self made hells....

ok this was written for a comptition for the celtic lady... just a quick little poem put together to go with the prompt above...

grandparent's day!

2010-10-15T14:43:00.000-07:00

this is my ancestor Albert Jefferson Veteto... the veteto's were french... he lived in the south, married a cherokee native American woman... in this picture, they had gone into "town" to do business and "had his picture made" is what my dad says... now that is how to grow a beard! it is long enough to blow in the wind...! you go grampa!
i have quite a few grand fathers in both directions who were named after presidents.... Jefferson how cool is that?

d is for dictionary

2010-10-14T12:20:00.000-07:00

ok we have been so busy packing to move and getting ready for company, i haven't had time to choose a topic for alphabe-thursday... in all the chaos haven't even been able to find my dictionary to look through for some ideas... today i was so happy to find it... then suddenly i realized d is for dictionary! DONE! now on to survive homecoming weekend.... stay tuned!

2010-10-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

all decked out for halloween.....

monday's child

2010-10-11T19:23:00.000-07:00

welcome to our rainbow coven
our rainbow socks we are a' loven
we have monster house plants
we sing spells and chants
i guess winter warlocks
prefer green socks
oh who cares about that?
just look at her hat!
but its' ok we love that cat
and anyway she stirs real nice
it's my big job to feed the mice
we have books with wings
their' magic too, they make us sing
that's what we like, our bubbly green stew
we love it here! it's what we do!

happy monday to all! star loved this prompt we had fun with this one! halloween in rainbows, now thats the good stuff!

2010-10-11T13:09:00.000-07:00

amazing magical day at the lake! we found a little water fall! it was so beautiful i kept expecting to spot a few fairies or maybe an elf or two, then there they were as sweet as you please! loving life today! (:

sunset walk to the park

2010-10-10T11:19:00.000-07:00

ok i know we are going to the park, but wait while i get pictures of the sunset...
well if you are going at least hold her hand, trucks are coming up this road...
well now you guys are in my way...
alright just hold on let me get some pictures...ok fine leave me... no wait, i'm coming...

grandparents day!

2010-10-08T11:11:00.000-07:00

i wanted to share this really really really cool image, even though no one in this photo is my grandparent...everyone in this photo is now a grandparent and this photo was taken at my Grandmother Sarah Gertrude's funeral... my father is the top row on the left, he is the 7th child of 8, their youngest brother, my uncle Tommy is not in this photo...
my father is standing next to his brother Leonard, who is actually one of the most devoted grandparents ever! he died in a fire about 10 yrs ago saving his grandchildren! oh the love of grandparents!
if you have a cool photo or story you want to share about grandparents please make a post of your own and you can create a link to this post, i would love to take a peek! (: thanks for sharing!

c is for chakra

2010-10-07T10:07:00.001-07:00

c is for chakra! i know it sounds a little fruity..., but stay with me! my son says, "why do you have to be such a hippy mom?!" well i just am what i am... so here's what i have found out...

a chakra is an energy center in the human body, the word chakra means "wheel" in sanskrit. there are seven main chakra's in the human body - each is an interface for the flow of life energy!

the seven main chakra's are described as being present in an ascending column from the base of the spine to the top of the head. each chakra is associated with a certain color and each is connected with a certain part of the conscientiousness... i found a few images through google of the chakra, the first has the name of the chakra's and the second tells briefly what that color is associated with...
now let me share what this information means to me... being a Christian i know that all light is the light of Christ. The light from the sun, the light from the moon, the stars, every street light, every night light is the light of Christ. So we all learned in kindergarten that when light shines through a prism it divides into rainbows, so all these facts put together say to me that we are, each one of us, a perfect prism, made in the image of God, designed to reflect the light of Christ. i have been very blessed because i know this to be true! "how do you know?" (yeah i heard you think that!) (: because of the kind of epilepsy i have. i have both complex and partial seizures, one kind that i have is called aura seizures... sometimes i see lights, flashes of light, i can see the light around people. most people only reflect one or two colors, like the picture of this child i found on the internet. i just googled chakra and got 200,000 options.

people for thousands of years have tried to figure all this out, but you don't need an aura photographer to tell you what your colors are, just look in your wardrobe, look at your walls, and the color of your car. you will see the colors you embrace and the simplest way to balance yourself out is to add another color to your palate. personally i have never owned a red car, i have never worn a yellow dress, i have always chosen greens and purples and blues... so this fall as the earth turns in on itself and huddles up for winter i will embrace that and wear some oranges and reds and stop focusing on the spiritual and be part of what is happening here on earth....
what colors do you embrace and why do you think that is?

2010-10-06T12:24:00.000-07:00

fun at the pumpkin patch!

monday's child

2010-10-05T07:44:00.000-07:00

And God saw everything he had made, and, behold it was very good.

And the evening and the morning were the sixth day....

And like every beast of the earth

And like every fowl of the air

And in everything that creepeth upon the earth there is life

And I like all of these I will look to him

And I see my Lord in the distance

And I put my hands together to pray

And even though like all of these I am surrounded by what is dark

And by what would want to pull me down

And like all of these I am unafraid

And though I am tiny in my lady bug dress

And I with my hair that is long and brown

And with my cheeks flushed with color I look to him

And I know I have no need to rely on my own strength

I have my Savior in my sight and with all my might I follow him

so yesterday when star got home from school i showed her the picture prompt from monday's child in the hopes that we could work out a little poem... well honestly she was quite frightened of this picture, "what are they in? what are they looking at? where are they going? how will they get out?" so i asked her just to look at the girl and describe her... so she contributed the long brown hair, rosy cheeks and the lady bug dress, so i showed her the lines i found in genesis this morning and she was happy with how it turned out.....

the sweetest birthday party ever!

2010-10-03T19:11:00.000-07:00

while they waited for everyone, star and katie blew bubbles... we had spent the week making tutus and flower head bands for all the girls... first they got dressed and had a fairy treasure hunt, they made wands and sung on the hammock... i love the last photo! i didn't realize how fairies flirt so much! you can see they were not paying attention to star trying to be the boss or me trying to take their picture, but flirting with star's big brother who was standing right beside me... (: cute!

the fairy tale tea party...

2010-10-03T18:52:00.000-07:00

this the closest i got to a group pix, fairies are very hard to catch don't ya know?!

ok now let's get down to the important part! birthday cake!

the crazy mck's!

2010-10-03T08:44:00.000-07:00

i wanted to share some of my favorite pictures of my boy and my grand baby! and a short story... the other day the boy explained to the other kids in his weights class the reason he has such hairy legs is because his ancestors needed warm legs as they smashed through the highlands of scotland in kilts mobbing on the english invaders! i love how he loves what he is! we are the mck's! (: i have been blessed with amazing boys, i have also been blessed with amazing ancestors! i love my life!

the fairy tail tea party...

2010-10-01T19:58:00.000-07:00

8/9/04 my star came into this world... crazy 6 years have gone by so fast! in august we had a "fairy tale tea party" for her birthday... it really was too sweet! here are two pictures of getting ready and one of my mom and the boy surviving the heat and the icky sweetness of a yard full of fairies! i will post pictures of the party tomorrow, right now it is fairy tail bedtime here... my blessings never end!

b is for blessings

2010-09-30T08:21:00.000-07:00

obviously!

grandparent's day!

2010-09-29T22:09:00.000-07:00

i decided last week that one day a week here at blessing will be grandparents day! i am very excited about this idea, but thinking out who to start with was a real undertaking... we have done a lot of research on our family history, and we have a lot of really cool photos and amazing stories,
but i decide it would make the most sense to start with myself.... yes i am proud grand parent! this is a picture of me holding my baby and adoring my grandbaby! i love this picture! i think it really shows the passion i have for this new and ultra exciting part life! the only thing is, we have gone around and around about is what my grandparent name will be..... obviously my mom is "grandma" and his paternal grandmother is "nana" i really wanted to be the "granny" because of how much i loved my granny, but it didn't seem to fit... melanie thinks i should be "gangee" (funny story of that name) colt agreed with that idea because i could be the "gangster" gramma.... but i am not sure that feels right either...
they live about 6 hrs away so i don't get to see him everyday, just a few times a year... since he is just now talking really well, i think the next time they come down i will just ask him what my name is and see what he says... but yay for cell phones and the internet, because i do get hourly updates and i adore every thing he says and does! it is fun getting older! i don't care what hollywood tries to make us think! (:

monday's child (i know it's a day late)

2010-09-28T19:39:00.000-07:00

w-w-winding yarn
s-s-sisters sit
p-p-pretty bows
too young too knit
tiny shoes
a perfect fit we found an amazing blog called "monday's child" all about children's poetry, they provide the "prompt" (the picture above... a new one each monday) and then we get to write a poem to go with it! star and i wrote this together..... she is just learning to read, she insisted it be written just the way she said it... i think it is perfect!

i know it's silly!

2010-09-28T16:08:00.000-07:00

ok finally my hair is long enough to wear up.... this is significant because of my own emotional issues i have worn it violently short for the past two years....... spiritual healing is a blessing!

made it monday!

2010-09-27T09:56:00.000-07:00

mondays are never easy, i know..... last monday morning star would not get out of bed, she actually covered her head and cried that she couldn't get up! seriously! so i lean down over the little mound of crying girl covered in blanket to sweetly whisper encouragement just as she decides to raise up and the back of her head makes contact with my nose and SNAP! i mean really how many times.....? so then as i am trying (with my nose throbbing and my eyes watering) to get her to put on her clothes and get to the table, i say "star come on! you are going to be late!" she responded with "late for what?" oh my hell! what a princess! she has been in school for almost a month and still she can't be bothered.....! anyway this morning i averted the whole thing and made cinnamon rolls and oddly enough she jumped right up! so yay it's monday and i made it!

15 cent blessing

2010-09-24T17:11:00.000-07:00

amazing blessings today! i decided i would dig through stuff, to see if i could find a pattern of something to make with the yarn i found yesterday.... and i stumbled onto these.... can you believe it? woman's home companion magazines from 1923 and 24...... they are beyond precious! the articles are amazing! i have been looking through them all day.... it may take me awhile to find a pattern.....

thrift store blessings.......

2010-09-23T15:31:00.000-07:00

and today i have been blessed indeed! i had to go into town and after i got done with all my important business i thought i would treat myself to some thrift shopping.... i love going to thrift stores and flea markets.... i feel like it gives the universe a chance to give me what i need instead of just finding what i think i want... anyway i was lead right too this amazing find! two bags of baby french angora thread!!! i know! they were not marked so i cautiously asked the clerk and he casually said "i don't know, a dollar a bag..."!!! i know!
i felt a tiny bit sad,... both bags had projects started and it is obvious someone ones gramma was making special gifts and passed away... and her kids just bagged up the whole craft room and donated it..... ): but i am grateful the spirit led me to it and i am glad i listened! only my granny could have known how much i love this gift and how i am feeling right now! don't know what i will make yet, but for now i will hold it love it and soak up the good! ( i will feel bad about taking out the work already done.... but i crochet, i don't knit...well maybe now it the time to learn....) anyway thx granny! i am feeling the love! happy day!

grandparent's day!

2010-09-23T08:19:00.000-07:00

a couple of weeks ago star had "grandparents day" at her school..... her gramma got to go to school and they had lunch..... fun stuff! i was thinking "i wish i was having a grandparents day!" i was having a dream last night that i was sitting with my granny in her sweet little house..... missing my grandparents today, i was blessed with the amazing ones!

mountain flowers...

2010-09-22T07:59:00.000-07:00

"and that" my son says "is the epitome of beauty!" yesterday the boy and i had to go to showlow for a dr.s appointment, and the whole mountain is covered with tiny yellow flowers! i made him take pictures from the passenger seat while i plowed up the hill at 65 miles per hour.... he is an amazing photographer! (: i loved the last one! the picture of a smart aleck!

2010-09-21T16:35:00.000-07:00

ok yeah this is in our front yard..... scary! i was having a hard time getting my camera to focus on it but can you see the sidewalk chalk marks where star is not supposed to go past on her bike?! and the very back of the gypsy wagon (how i lovingly refer to my car) i thought i would google it to see what it was, but couldn't do it! horrified of spiders! i was bit 2 years ago, spent much time in hospital.... now i am have serious ptsd! ahhhhhhh! the boy will be killing it when he gets home! (:

2010-09-21T15:23:00.000-07:00

i wanted to share a picture of the scariest thing ever! freaking huge! i was parilized by panic but i managed these two shots.... ahhhhhhh!

eskimo proverb...

2010-09-17T17:56:00.000-07:00

yesterday morning before school, star was very upset for her teacher.... star said her teacher, the amazing a loving mrs champlain's son was dying and she would be rushing to Missouri in the hope of seeing him one last time....star thought she would be having a substitute at school, i went to school with her and mrs champlain was there and said "yes my son died last night, i didn't make it in time, i will not be going now...." i made her this little accordian style sympathy card.... it reads "perhaps... they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pour through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy" it is an eskimo proverb........ i forgot to credit them.....i was happy to see her smile when she read it and thank me as she held it to her heart...... "i am comforted because i know where he is." was her response...! we love mrs. champlain!

it was hard to photograph but the card stock i chose for the outside of the card is a night in shining armor holding up a sword while sitting on his horse.... she liked it....

freedom of expression is a blessing!

2010-09-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

it is interesting to me how i parent completely differently now than i did 20 yrs ago! i am finally at a place where i can let them make their own choices and know those choices have no effect on how i feel about them......(:

mountain sunset at my back

2010-09-16T13:42:00.000-07:00

on the mountain, with my back to the sunset........

2010-09-14T12:15:00.000-07:00

ok i loved his gift, and i think he was happy for me to brag about it, and though i am not one to judge someone else's creative process, i gave it a few days then in my most "i think i might be a ding dong voice" i said, "ummmmmm, i think breathe is spelled with an e" so he fixed it and i am reposting! yay we got him into school today! after much deep breathing! i have had it with the public school system!......now i am spending the rest of my day cleaning house! (:

how do you explain yin and yang to a 6 yr old?

2010-09-13T18:02:00.000-07:00

ok just a few quick thoughts..... the boy bought his sister a little tinkerbell notebook in which she instantly had to start making "to do lists" we both thought it was so funny, where did she ever even get the idea of a to do list? she has had to schedule every minute of her day since friday! saterday so woke up at 6 and her first words were "mom get up we have to start checking things off my list!"
on sunday she was back up at 6 wanting to start her list.... you can see she scheduled time for a morning snuggle.... so then she jumps and wants to go on to the next thing, i said "star it is too early to get up on a sunday, get into bed with me and we can snuggle some more...." she fires back " "IT'S TOO LATE FOR THAT! i have check off the next thing...."
so i told her to find some thing to play on the bed, because i am not getting up...... she find her "opposites puzzles" now understand each puzzle only has two pieces, a straight road and a twisty road, an old person and a young person, a long rope and a short rope..... so when she has them all put together she starts holding up the sets and asking "ok mom which one is the opposite?" it was the beginning of a hilarious conversation! "star neither of them are the opposite, by themselves they just are what they are, together they are the opposites of each other...... my son laughed! "how do you describe yin and yang to a 6 yr old?" it is fun to have to the two of them together again.....! i love my babies! they are both so interested and thoughtful! life is good!

2010-09-11T18:17:00.000-07:00

my son made me a gift.... he knows all the amazing coping skills! (;

salt river canyon, survival is a blessing!

2010-09-10T19:21:00.000-07:00

i wanted to share a few pix the boy took on the trip up from tuscon.....

my boy is a blessing to me!

2010-09-10T09:12:00.000-07:00

Well, this is from Isaiah. It's been a long time since i've been home, I might not be the greatest example of a good son, but i'm trying again. I'm glad to be back with my mother and little sister. I love you Mom, stayyyyyy upppp.

star blessing (her real name)

2010-09-07T16:50:00.000-07:00

is she a blessing?.... even my 16yr old son says "mom she is not allowed to be so beautiful! what are we gonna do when she gets old enough to drive the boys crazy?" i thought it was a very endearing sentiment from a big brother..... but i think he might be right......

i am blessed with friends!

2010-09-06T17:04:00.000-07:00

the two youngest nomkeni kids..... kimmie and keenan..... all my pictures of keenan look just like this..... notice how his little head is all sweaty from running around! he is the definition of a wild banshee! star loves him to death! kimmie is too sweet for words and a girl after my own heart! when i get out all the craft stuff she will sit and create with me forever! i am grateful for good friends who are a good example to me! they have amazing parents and i am blessed to know them!

visiting friends cont........

2010-09-05T17:45:00.000-07:00

this is amyaha, she is in 7 th grade now..... she plays volley ball and soft ball, i swear i couldn't believe how fast she is growing into a young woman! she is a sweetie and at times a smartie pants! she got on the dry erase board and made us all look silly! you can see she wrote the names of colors in different colored markers.... then sayes "ok read the colors they are written in, not the word" it was so funny! no one could do it! try it out, it is harder than it sounds! she is so cute, very busy taking care of her family, you can see her standing up at the table, so busy serving she couldn't sit down to eat! love love love her! a true blessing!

good harvest time!

2010-09-04T12:33:00.000-07:00

i have a lot of blessing today..... our friends the Nomkeni's who live on the navajo reservation came to visit us today! i am never happier than when i have a house full of hungry people to feed!
we have known their family for a long time and i have watched their kids grow up with mine.... their oldest son Jaren is too cool for words! he has turned into a giant of a man! (well at 15) his father is a hopi and his mother is a navajo, so he has grown up tri lingual.... how cools is that? he can't be bothered with sports but his very proud of the fact that his grandmother has taught him to weave rugs and he can knit and crochet... not to mention his amazing turquoise jewelry!
star got out her dry erase board and jaren started writing in navajo..... i was stunned, 20 yrs ago i grew up very near the navajo reservation and i can remember that the native's didn't have a written language.... but they have worked and worked and gotten it all written down.
jaren said they had to add symbols to their alphabet to include sounds that do not happen in the english language....if you have never heard navajo spoken i can't really discribe it, but there are alot of clicking sounds and back of your throat sounds..... it is amazing to see their society evolving right before my eyes! this combination of symbols, represents a click you make with your tongue, so i asked him what he was righting, "what does the last part say?" he said "this says september..... well not really september but something like 'good harvest time".......

creators!

2010-08-27T21:21:00.000-07:00

i want to share a link for my daughter.........http://creativeworkshops.ning.com/ ...... now you know i am a teckno retard so i don't know if this will create a live link or if you will have to copy and paste.......... you, my love, know that i believe that people break down into two groups..... the creators and the destroyers.... and you are my lovie are a creator..... you will enjoy this video..... good luck on your new etsy site...... i love you more that words can say!

sunset mingus mountain

2010-08-24T12:22:00.000-07:00

i have been feeling the need to move in a new direction.... so i changed my background and my header.....! i will be devoting my efforts to counting my blessing for as long as.... i wanted to share this amazing image i caught by chance this weekend. we went up mingus mountain for a cookout, we waited for evening in hopes it would cool off. so we got up on top right as the sun was setting..... we ran down to the lookout point just time to see this....we were indeed blessed because as we stood there in awe.... the clouds rolled in with the thunder and the lightening and we looked at each other and knew it was rain on our parade.... but said a prayer and suddenly the wind changed and it all blew the other way, we had our hot dogs and smores and then counted the stars with my star and knew we were blessed!

2010-08-22T20:11:00.000-07:00

i have been safe all these years behind the camera.... now star thinks she is going to become the photographer.... i think she might be pretty good......

2010-08-10T15:12:00.000-07:00

i am making star a teepee for her birthday.... i know her birthday was yesterday, i let her open two presents yesterday morning with her pancake birthday breakfast, but this is for her fairy tail tea party on saterday..... i know she is crazy indulged baby but, she's the baby! ok this teepee is too much fun! i can't decide which way i want to put the pieces together.... but i love it already! i want to live in it!

2010-07-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

i made star a dress for summer. do you love the zebra fabric? i thought i was going to have a seizure working with it! you know that is actually their protective mechanism? when running in a herd, a predator can't focus on one animal to attack!.... in theory...... anyway it's done! it's cute! and i didn't end up in the er to make it! melanie will me expecting one now and i think i know a friend who needs one too! (;

2010-07-21T12:43:00.000-07:00

star and i are paper craft addicts! we have so much paper and punches and inks and stamps and markers and pencils and stuff and stuff and more stuff! just now my mom brought me a surprise present! this amazing craft carrier! star and i do have messy stuff that we enjoy, and i am so happy to have someway to keep things together! we made gramma thank you card! (: life is good!

2010-07-08T12:55:00.000-07:00

my ocd princess is home! what other 5 yr old artist has to clean and organize her work station before she starts? all is right with the universe now! oh the happy happy happiness! (:

2010-07-04T22:04:00.000-07:00

my great grand father John Bowen fought in WWI. thanks grampa for fighting for my freedom! i hope everyone had a happy 4th!

2010-06-30T07:49:00.000-07:00

i am going to take a queue from my daughter and put on my best tutu and get out there and face the world! like this, well maybe i will smile about it! i swear she kills me! i didn't quite catch it in this photo but she is wearing white snow boots with this outfit! (: i love my baby!

fearless in forgetfulness!

2010-06-29T12:57:00.000-07:00

last week i was doing laundry and heard some tiny chirping in the garage. when i opened the door it went silent. i had to look for it, then i saw this little baby had flown into the garage when the door was open and realized it was caught after the door was closed. it was so tiny and sweet i had to run and get star and the camera to get some pix, but then i opened the garage doors and it flew free.... it really was so tiny we had a hard time spotting it. but it was fearless and looked right at us. after it was gone, i started thinking, is this not maybe how we get? stuck amongst the meaningless stuff and forget all we all really have to do is fly free?

mountain blessings....

2010-06-27T16:54:00.000-07:00

this last week has been a hard one! now i am all alone, star has gone for her yearly week of horror with the dud..... my poor baby! she didn't want to go she cried herself to sleep friday night and she woke up crying saterday morning. after she left i thought about crying and crying and ending of the day by taking a handful of pills but that little voice in my head told me to get up and get out of the house. so i went for a drive up the mountain and found an arts and crafts fair. i walked around and bought myself a truckers cap that says "princess" on it and found this amazing amethyst ring which i bought for 10$ i took it as a gift from the universe and will wear it everyday all week to remind myself that my Father in Heaven loves me and is watching over my baby!

2010-06-23T14:08:00.000-07:00

we got dried off and dressed after our pool party, had lunch and did our hair pretty art project! here is star and amber wearing the head bands they made to match their new outfits. and a pix of all the other pretties we made for every other out fit they might ever wear! i especially like the little rainbow daisy bobby pins!

church summer pool party

2010-06-23T11:24:00.000-07:00

they had fun at the pool party, star was afraid to get too far from the edge but amber was so cute she hovered over her like a mother hen..... (:

2010-06-23T07:25:00.000-07:00

i am making a post early this morning..... too early for me to be having coherent thought really.... but a few things have happened in the last 24hrs i feel i should talk about! well the day before yesterday at about 10am a dear friend of mine called me to say her cousin in law had just died at the age 42 of breast cancer.
this friend of mine has been an amazing friend to me since we first met in kindergarten. this friend herself had thyr0id cancer and cervical cancer and with what i have gone through with my everything, we have been there for each other many many times.
every time something has happened i have called her, i was the first one she called to say she had cancer and the first one she called to say she left the dr. to find out she had been clean a year.
she and i have had many long conversations about fighting for your life, about what in life is worth fighting for and about what in this life is a waste of precious time, time that tics by so quickly when you are counting your days......
in our conversations we have shared times when we were betrayed and disappointed by those we loved and trusted and we have loved and supported each other when things happened that were to painful to ever talk about anyone else........
this friend and i have talked about the belief that we share, every thought creates a feeling, every feeling a person feels in stored in their body. every kink in you neck, every stomach ache, every head ache can be traced back to a feeling or thought. every bad feeling that get held on too get stored and saved and turned into something bad. my friend and i have discussed our hard feelings and have helped each other learn ways to let them go. this is way i adore therapy! this is why i have gone to al anon, aa, na, support groups for everything i can think of, this is why i love going to church any church..... because i will talk and talk and talk about every bad thing that has ever happened to me and every bad thought i have every had to everyone who will listen because i will not live with it! i will face the truth, i will identify it, i will embrace it, i will name it and own it and i will then let it go! i pray everyday for God to show me how to let it go.......today is this gal's funeral, i will not be going, niether will my friend, she for her reasons and me for mine.
today i will take star and amber to a pool party. she was left here with only the clothes on her back. so we went out yesterday and found her a bathing suit and she is excited to go.
when i write on this blog i feel invisible, i don't say or do anything to make myself look like anything! i assumed no one was listening and i certainly would never say or do anything to purposefully hurt anyone! not because i am so saintly and good as some people like to make a show of being, but because i know what hurt and hate does to me and i guard my thoughts and feelings against anything negative WITH MY LIFE!
so the summer camp fun little girl project for the day will be pool party, jewelry making, rug weaving.... then amber will go home the end of this week because my 74 yr old father must make a trip out of town to get his car, because he can't stop helping people who should be helping themselves.....

embroidery

2010-06-17T16:38:00.000-07:00

we had to start some stay busy projects for the summer so we got out our gramma mary's embrodery floss and star traced her hand on a piece of flannel and i put her to work. she is just obsessive compulsive enough that she insists on making tiny perfect stitches. oh the concentration! she wasn't really happy when she realized she had sewn it to her dress though....